Always Believe
by julesrose20
Summary: On the eve of her 18th birthday, Serena finds herself heartbroken, betrayed and alone. Will she be able to heal and see that her true love has been standing in front of her the whole time.
1. Chapter 1

***Alright so, this is my first Sailor Moon fanfic. It took me a while to plan this out, I am still working on it but, I've noticed I do my best work while thinking off the top of my head xD. I hope you like this one, I went a different route this time, trying some new things. The plot is pretty interesting, since I used an idea I have been holding in for a long time. Hope you like it! R&R***

**** I do not own Sailor Moon****

**Chapter 1**

"Serena! I swear if that phone rings one more time and it is from him, I swear it will be in pieces against the wall! I am not joking!" Raye glared towards her preoccupied friend, who smiled widely as she answered another message from her boyfriend.

The comment naturally fell upon deaf ears as Serena giggled endlessly at his reply; her eyes had spent more of their study session on the screen, over time spent on textbooks which littered the table in front of them. As Serena's thumbs quickly flashed across the small screen to begin yet another reply; Raye's hand flashed across the table, snatching the phone and tucking it under her pillow.

"Hey! Give it back Raye!"

"No dice," Raye chuckled, she patted the pillow where the phone angrily vibrated in protest to being taken away from its owner. "I will return it once we finish, I promise. You need to focus Serena, we have finals coming up and you have been doing so well this year. You can survive not talking to Seiya for a few hours."

Serena sighed angrily as she placed her hands flat against the table, her cerulean eyes burning a hole through Raye's head. Her body was now posed to attack and her fellow friends stared in horror as she prepared to launch herself across the table; just to retrieve a cell phone. Raye confidently folded her arms across her chest with a proud smirk across her face, knowing that Serena did not have the guts to actually proceed with an attack.

The group's born to fight member, Lita, anxiously accessed the situation and slowly placed her hand on Serena's trembling hand. "Serena, it is just a cell phone. Please lets just study and then you can go be with Seiya, we know that is where you would rather be." Both she and Mina shared looks of sadness, they had almost lost their dearest friend once she had begun dating Seiya a few month ago. All of her time was not dedicated to spending every moment with him, this was one of the few times they had been able to pry her away; without Seiya dragging himself along.

Her comment went by ignored, Serena continued to glare towards Raye, her fingers now tapping the table surface impatiently. Raye remained confident and slowly reopened her textbook and causally began to read once again.

"Serena, all we are asking is that you focus on your studies for the time being." Amy peaked from behind her own books to glance towards her angered friend. "It is wonderful that you have a boyfriend, but this is your final year of high school. We all know you want to get into a good school, please just focus." Amy's eyes saddened as she saw how stubborn Serena had become. They all wanted the best for her and in recent weeks, knew Seiya was not the best decision. He consumed so much of her life now, she cared less and less about the important parts of her life. They worried that she would soon crumble to his sexual advances and wind up pregnant or worse, alone.

It severely bothered Serena at how uncaring her friends had been the past couple of weeks, they seemed to ignore how happy Seiya had made her. For so long she had feared she would never find a boyfriend, sure, she was not exactly ugly but to her; she still felt homely looking. The moment she turned seventeen, the boys at school seemed to finally pay more attention to her. None had really caught her attention; that was until she laid eyes upon Seiya. They had met at the arcade during one of her 'study' sessions with her friends, it was almost as if he had zeroed in straight on her; they had hit it off right from the start and before the week was up, they were an item.

He was a few years older than her and naturally her parents flew into a rage when they discovered his age but once they got to know him, they loved him. It may have been a few months but to her, it was bliss and she hoped that one day, he would ask her to be his forever.

A hand slowly waved in front of her glazed over eyes and she blinked a few times before focusing upon Mina who smiled. "Daydream later Serena, lets finish this session and we can go to arcade. I'll treat you to a milkshake" Her eyes sparkled, Mina knew just how to arouse Serena's interest in studying. "I promise you can have the biggest one." Serena poked her tongue towards Mina before settling back and returning to her studies, only when the sound of her phone, did her eyes flicker away from the pages.

"Serena." Raye impatiently grumbled.

"Sorry… He's probably mad by now." Serena said. That was one part of Seiya she did not prefer, his slight obsession of knowing every detail of her daily activities. At first, it had seemed sweet that he cared about what she did but now, she wished he would back off for a moment to allow her to breath. If she missed one message, he would proceed with twenty questions, sending message after message; wanting every detail. Serena made a mental note to bring this concern up, once she saw him later on that day.

"Let him be. Seiya should understand that school comes first." Raye rolled her eyes as once against her bottom vibrated with yet another message from Seiya. She had hoped after seeing she was not answering, he would take the hint that she was busy and leave her be for the time being. As yet another message came, she debated reaching under and shutting the phone off but knew, it would lead to another stand off; she chose to do her best to ignore..

"I swear my head is on the brink of exploding!" Serena declared as she burst through the arcade door. "I definitely deserve this milkshake, I should add some fries." Mina lightly smacked Serena's shoulder as they walked towards the counter. The other girls slid into their usual booth, chattering away excitedly over prom which was quickly approaching. Amy had already gone bright red over Lita's comment about her asking Greg, while Raye focused her eyes on a young man who happened to be sitting a few booths away.

As Mina and Serena leaned against the counter she nervously removed her cell phone from her jeans pocket, sighing at the sight of over fifty messages sent by Seiya since Rae had confiscated it. She had debated simply turning it off and dealing with the consequences later on; it had been amazing just spending time with the girls, even if studying had been involved. Serena had almost forgotten what it was like just being out with friends, not having Seiya tag along, bragging over his honour roll status at school or showing off the latest upgrade to his vehicle collection. At times she wondered why she was still with Seiya; all he seemed to care about was money, popularity and sex.

His passion for money and popularity was not always an annoyance of Serena's. At times, she even loved being able to brag about her rich and popular boyfriend around school; his passion for sex was one part she truly hated. The first month of their relationship, he understood her views on saving herself until she was ready sadly, as time went on; his pressure for sex increased. Recently she had found herself almost having to fight him off during their intense make out sessions, he seemed to care less and less about her needs. Sex seemed to be his only desire when they were alone. Serena knew that Seiya was no virgin, he had his moments of bragging about his past conquests, as he had called them.

"Earth to Serena, food is ready." Mina giggled as she waved a hand in front of Serena's face, which was blank as she pondered her relationship. Her eyes blinked several times before she refocused her attention on Mina, who stared at her with slight confusion. "Either you are thinking of Seiya, or had been attempting to use your mind to will the food to come faster."

Serena shot her friend a joking scowl before whisking the plates off the table and raced to the table, where she found herself entering an intense prom discussion. Lita and Rae were giggling as they ducked a swing of Amy's hand, trying to retrieve her cell phone which was now being used to arrange her date with Greg, against her wishes.

"Girls! Please don't do this. I swear, I'll ask him!" Amy screeched. "I'm serious Lita, I do not need you two arranging my date. You two need dates as well." The final comment fell upon deaf ears as Rae sent the dreaded message, a devilish smirk lay on her face. Lita's face mimicked her friends, while Serena and Mina sighed as they slid next to Amy, now sat stone faced; eyes focused on Lita and Rae.

The newest arrivals to the table simply shook their heads and began munching on their fries, softly babbling about their own prom plans. Serena naturally was planning on bringing Seiya, she had not asked him just yet, it was hard to hold a conversation once they were alone. Seiya, was more of a physical person, his lips were on her the moment her father's prying eyes had left. She was once brought of her Seiya thoughts, by Amy who had brought up another study session for the next day, the group moaned but nodded, they knew this session was necessary. Exams were coming up faster than prom. Even Serena wanted decent marks, she hoped of getting into a good school; highly considering becoming a fashion designer even though her parents wished she would look into something more stable.

"Can you manage another day without Seiya, Serena? We really need to be prepared." Her eyes fell onto Rae who was staring back, a stern look had now replaced the devilish grin from setting up Amy with her dream date. Serena's only response was a sigh and a nod; she was not going to start another battle with Rae over her boyfriend. The battle she feared more was with Seiya. For the moment she simply brushed away the oncoming battle and dived into her chocolate milkshake; food, friends and gossip; always topped an angry boyfriend.


	2. Chapter 2

***Thank you to all for your condolences, means a lot. Its been a tough time but I'm doing just great. I know I said a few weeks but honestly, I have been doing better than I expected. I know that she is in a better place and I can rest knowing she is no longer in any pain.***

***For those wanting to know, Darien is not really going to be brought for a bit. I know, very sad but at the moment he is just going to be more of minor character, until the plot expands. The beginning of this is more Serena/Seiya. I promise soon Darien will be around a lot more, just have to build up to it ****J R&R.***

****I do not own Sailor Moon****

**Chapter 2**

The sun had already begun to set as Serena skipped through her front door; drained as she was from studying for what had seemed like days, she was light as air from spending a day with her friends. She had forgotten what it was like to just have a day with her girls laughing, joking, teasing each other and just having an amazing time. For one day she did not have to deal with the pressures of Seiya and his need for sex or attention. She still not checked her ever growing list of text messages and voice mails; she decided it would be best to simply call him once she got home, away from the prying eyes of her friends, who sporadically through the day brought up their disliking to the man who had almost stolen their friend's heart.

"You seem cheerful. Have a nice time with the girls?" Irene peaked her head from inside the kitchen. She was quite happy herself knowing that Serena had spent sometime with people besides Seiya. It pleased her knowing that Serena was dating but she wished she would learn how to balance her time; it worried her that Serena may find herself in a position should not be able to escape easily.

Serena cheerfully nodded as she slipped into the kitchen inhaling the beautiful aroma from the dinner being prepared. Stuffed with fries and chocolate shake, she still found herself starving and eagerly awaiting dinner.

"Spent most of it studying," She sighed a bit before pouring herself a glass of milk. "It was fun after though, with prom coming up we decided to start dress shopping after school tomorrow." Serena already had a dress in mind, she had seen it while shopping with the girls a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful baby pink strapless tiered tulle ball gown; the bodice was delicately decorated with crystal embroidery, it was completed with a satin sash which tied in the back. The moment she laid eyes upon it, Serena knew it was her prom dress, it fit her style perfectly and she could already see the couples portraits which she would treasure forever.

It took little pestering for Serena to extract some money for her father for the shopping adventure the next day. She squealed with excitement as she leaped from her chair to smother Ken with kisses and hugs, Sammy and Irene simply sighed with laughter as Serena settled back into her seat so they could return to their meal.

Once the dishes were done, Serena disappeared into her room so she could speak to her boyfriend in private. She softly scratched Luna's head as she carefully dialled his number, her thumb slightly shook as she hit the call button.

"Where the hell have you been Serena?" Seiya shrieked through the receiver. "I have been waiting all day for you! You said you would study with the girls and then come to see me. Not one reply, not one. You were with some other guy weren't you?"

"I was not! I'm sorry but after the session we decided to go down to arcade to relax," Her voice was already quivering. "I'm sorry babe, it has been so long since I spent the day with them. I never give you shit if you want to spend the day with your friends." Her attention was diverted to Luna, who had plopped herself happily into Serena's lap, purring contently. Sometimes Serena could swear Luna knew whenever she was upset, sick or otherwise not her usual bubbly self. She smiled and softly ran her hand down Luna's back.

"Please, at least I stay in contact while I'm out. I never ignore a message from you, unlike someone I know," His voice was sharp and cold, she hated when he was in one of his moods. It always made her worry that he might break the whole thing off whenever she did something wrong. "You can make it up to me tomorrow. Come to my place after school, I'm sure you know how to patch this up."

Serena rolled her eyes at his subtle asking for sex.

"Sorry babe but, I am going shopping with the girls. We are shopping for prom dresses, its coming up you know." It seemed like a bad time to ask but, she figured she would have to bring it up now. They had only a few weeks and knowing Seiya, it would take him that long to find his own outfit for the dance.

The line was silent for a moment and Serena knew he was attempting to keep his anger in check, two days of not being with her was not ever in his place. She could feel her body beginning to tense when she heard him sharply inhale.

"You are blowing me off to go shopping? How many times have you ditched the girls to be with me, I miss you. I want to see your beautiful face again, I hate not seeing you for long periods of time. Please bunny, come see me." Serena sighed, she hated when he used her nickname as a way of coaxing her to submit. Her free hand now clung to the edge of her bed, her mind now debating whether she truly needed to go shopping tomorrow, she almost missed Seiya terribly.

Serena could almost hear the girls bitching about her deciding to spend the day with Seiya inside of shopping. As if a jolt of lightning had hit her, she refused to give in to his needs for another day; she needed to spend as much time with her friends as possible. Once exams came to a close, they were separating; different schools which meant little time together next year. Their nearly carefree lives were coming to an end, they had to make the best of it.

"I promise I'll come and see you when we are finished unless, you want to come along? Maybe you could, you know, pick out your tuxedo for the event, if you want to be my date." She softly giggled, hoping it could possibly lighten his mood and change the subject. The silence on the other end only meant one thing, another blow up. His breathing had increased and Serena could tell he was now pacing his apartment, most likely gripping his phone, almost ready to hurl it against whatever wall happened to be closet.

"Fine. Call me when you finish."

The girls collapsed into a booth in the food court late in the afternoon the next day, huge garment bags draped over the back behind each girl. Serena was simply dancing now that beautiful dress was now hers. The others had been just as successful and each shared the same excited glow, littered around the booth, were bags filled with matching shoes and beautiful jewellery to make their night truly spectacular.

Rae had found a beautiful crimson red shouldered mesh gown which featured crystal beading across the top of her bodice. Lita was next, purchasing an emerald green knit halter with a dazzling crystal brooch, Mina, a pale gold strapless tulle ball gown with beaded bodice. Ami found her dress last, but Serena knew this sky blue dress, which was beaded completely from head to toe, with a key hole in the front and criss-cross ribbon across the back, would leave Greg breathless.

Throughout the day Serena had made sure to answer any message from Seiya, despite bickering from the girls. She hoped staying in contact would appease her edgy boyfriend until they could be united in a few hours, hopefully for one night, she would be free from his ongoing sexual advances.

"Serena, what are we doing for your birthday this year?" Ami spoke softly. "This is a big one for you, we must celebrate." The girls began to quickly toss around ideas as Serena sighed and shrunk back into the booth. Her ideas for this upcoming birthday were very different than the girls could ever imagine. She would be legal, her parents could no longer attempt to push her their way. She could run off and join a cult, shave her head or even, lose her virginity to Seiya. Sleeping with Seiya had been on her mind since June rolled around, his daily advances were slowly wearing away at her boundary line. Sure, making out and 'on top of the clothes' stuff had never really bothered her but once his hands started wandering underneath, she would pull away.

A few days ago she had slipped into a more adult store and even surprising herself, she had purchased some lingerie. It was a dusty rose heart mesh bustier with padded lycra cups, the back was a boning and back hook and eye closure; along with a ribbon tie halter neckline and velvet bow detailing. The outfit also featured removable garters which made her giggle, she could already see Seiya's eyes bugging out as she stepped out from his washroom, attempting a sexy dance. The bag still remained hidden, deep within her closet and she found herself staring at it after a battle with Seiya, wondering if the purchase was too soon, for her.

"Earth to Serena. Are you going to give us any input for your birthday?" Mina chirped. "We can't read your mind?"

"Sorry I just a lot on my mind, I have no idea what I want to do this year." She lied. "I think my parents are taking me to dinner, you girls can come."

The three girls exchanged confused glances before returning their eyes to Serena, who causally turned her head to observe the others walking through the mall. She knew they were attempting to dissect her brain, trying to understand why she was not making any fuss over her birthday. Unknown to them she was, just for other reasons.

"It better not be Seiya you're thinking of spending it with," Rae snapped. "That would be the worst mistake you could ever make."

"Oh please Rae, I am not that stupid. I just think I'm getting too old for the big stuff, I just want a quiet birthday, you know?" Serena stated. She would be half truthful, her plan was to go for dinner and than after she would slip off to Seiya's place.

As she turned to fight back she was shocked to see that Rae's focus was no longer on her. Her face was now flushed and her eyes bright, a wide smile exploded onto her face as the others turned and Serena's heart dropped.

Walking towards them with a cocky smirk was Darien, Serena's long time enemy. Their relationship had always been cold, ever since she had smacked into him with her 30% test. Since then they had only fought whenever in each other's presence and she hated the fact that Rae was practically in love with him.

"I think I'm going to leave, I am not in the mood for a Darien battle today." Serena grumbled. She immediately began to collect her belongings and as she rose from her seat, Darien reached the booth.

"Amazing to see you without some form of food sticking out of your mouth." Darien chuckled as her eyes narrowed.

"Unlike you Darien, I happen to own more than a one tracked mind." Anger oozed from her lips. This man knew how to hit every button she had.

"Ouch, someone is bitter today. Just came over to say hello and this is my reception?" That smug look was five seconds from being slapped away.

"How about you say hello to someone who actually gives a shit." Serena spat. "If you will excuse me, I am going to see my boyfriend."

Serena failed to notice the look of sadness in Darien's eyes as she stormed away. To her, he was a self centred pain in the ass who she wished, would just leave her and girls alone; possibly contract some nasty little disease from one of his one night stands. So she could finally be rid of this jackass whose mission was to drive her crazy. It drove her insane trying to understand what it was about him that Rae found so desirable. Good looks were only one part of what she found attractive. She desired looks, attitude, personality; all of which Seiya had which made her crazy about him.

It hit her then. Serena did not simply like Seiya, she loved him. She had loved him ever since they started dating and she knew, this was the man she wanted to be with forever. True she was only seventeen but many people found their true love at a young age. The vision of her and Seiya on their wedding day filled her mind as she headed home to quickly change before racing to meet her love.


	3. Chapter 3

***Time to start the action. Sorry for delay, had major trouble with this chapter. I was so lost. I was debating on whether I wanted to have it start now or later, still trying to figure how many chapters I wanted and such. Plus I got addicted to a few of my old stories, Sorry xD R&R.***

****Sailor Moon = Not mine****

**Chapter 3**

The sun was slowly beginning to set as Serena skipped up the stairs at the entrance of Seiya's apartment building. She had not stopped smiling since she stepped off the bus just around the corner. Realizing how she truly felt about Seiya had awoken a part of Serena she never knew could have existed. Sex had never been a huge priority to Serena, just a factor that would come around when she was ready, truly ready. She was stunned how fast she had decided to take such a big step, Seiya had always been so angry when she pushed him away, she could not wait to see his face when he was met with acceptance.

As she breezed through the main door, she was slightly knocked to the side by a young woman who stormed right past her. The woman who seemed around nineteen or twenty, was in foul mood as she shoved the doors opened. Not taking a second to even apologize to the tiny blonde who had pressed against the wall. She may have been stunning in her ash grey cashmere sweater dress, and knee high black boots but, Serena was glad she was not the reason this woman was pissed.

The woman was gone from her mind as soon as the elevator doors shut, romantic yet dirty visions of what would be happening in a few short weeks began to flow through her brain. At first she had planned on prom night, then it switched to their four month anniversary which fell a couple days after her birthday but now, her birthday seemed the perfect date. It would not seem so wrong knowing that she would be legal in the law's eye. Knowing that she would be free from judgment made her feel safer with this decision, she could do what she pleased with Seiya and be free from most punishment. Her father was still strongly against Serena dating "a much older man" as he had said on many occasions when Seiya had arrived to pick her up.

As the elevator rose higher and higher towards his floor, she found her stomach began to grow tighter with every click of the screen. When the doors opened onto his floor she began to feel as if something was not right. The hallway did not have its normal welcoming feel, it was as if she did not belong in this place anymore. The feeling grew even stronger as she approached Seiya's apartment and it worried her, she felt as if she was preparing to walk into a battle ground.

Serena nervously knocked on his door hoping that his smiling face would make everything perfect again. She had already decided on telling him her special plans for her birthday, knowing it would make his day, maybe even his year. Committing herself to him one hundred percent, she hoped, would solidify their relationship and one day, he would ask her to be his wife.

The door slowly opened and there he stood, she was slightly taken back at his dishelmed appearance. His hair was slightly ruffled and a few buttons where in the wrong holes, and for a moment Serena swore she could smell a slightly familiar women's perfume coming from him. She shook the thought away and made herself believe that it was a whiff of her own perfume. She leaned closer to him and softly placed a kiss upon his lips but was stunned at the coldness from his return kiss, lacking the usual passion.

"Thought you would have been here sooner, I thought the dress thing was only going to take a couple hours. Not five." Seiya sneered.

"Sorry babe… it just took Mina and Rae a little longer. Its prom, we have to have the perfect dress." She began to shake slightly at how cold and uncaring he had become, he knew how excited she was over prom. This was the one event she had be dreaming about since she was little, along with the obvious dream of a wedding.

Seiya roughly shut the door which caused her to jump as she glanced around the living room, it seemed different almost a foreign land to her now. The couch seemed to call to her and she stepped closer, it looked as if some of the cushions had been roughed up or moved around. Something seemed odd, to her it almost matched how it usually looked after one of their intense make out sessions. Her heart almost skipped a beat as she began to wonder if her worst fear had come true, was there another woman?

She touched her forehead for a moment and shook away the worry. There was no way that Seiya would cheat on her, impossible. The thought of him being with another woman almost made her sick, besides, Seiya was not that kind of man. It was true that he was getting frustrated with the lack of sex but he had admitted that waiting, would make it that more intense when they did finally succumb to temptations. As she turned, Seiya was still standing near the door with an almost bored expression, something she rarely saw whenever she was around. Serena figured he had most likely been sitting around all day waiting for her to finish her shopping spree and head over, she felt guilty making him wait, it most likely explained his rough appearance. Her arrival had probably startled him so he had little time to properly get ready for her.

"I'm surprised you have not started gushing over your prom dress, you've been rattling about it for almost three weeks." No hint of a smile, no asking about what color his tie needed to be. This was not the Seiya she was used to, their usual time together was so different to this. By now his lips would be on hers, his shirt would already be either unbuttoned or on the floor. She looked down for a moment, staring at the rim of her pale yellow sundress. He would have been so happy to see her in a dress, easier 'access' he would call it.

"Well… it is a really beautiful dress, like I have said. Baby pink and yeah, I guess you won't like wearing a pink tie." She gave him a tight smile, pink was Seiya's least favourite color but, she figured he would not mind wearing it for a few hours while they danced; once they hit the hotel, it would be a different story. "I did a little browsing in the men's section for your tie but, I figured you can do that. You always say that I never had the touch when it comes to buying clothes for you."

It was true, she had bought him several items during their relationship, and even before that but they always got returned and he would end up buying himself a more expensive, designer item. Personally she believed he should give lower priced items a try, the stuff she would buy him looked exactly like the real thing but to Seiya, the name was what counted.

By now the ice cold version of Seiya had headed towards the kitchen and she heard the crack of a beer bottle cap, he was drinking now? He rarely started drinking until she was preparing to leave, it helped him to wind down and as he said, took away the edge of wanting to push himself to take her into the bedroom. Serena began to wonder why he was acting like this, she wanted to chalk it up to school, his friends or maybe even he was just bothered about having to wait so long for her.

"I don't really care about what color tie I have to wear. I'm only going to keep you happy, its what happens or should I say what SHOULD happen after prom is what I care about. Its been almost four months Serena, my other girlfriends never held off so long." He was leaning against the doorway of his kitchen, already half of the beer was gone from the bottle. This was the first time ever, he was blunt about wanting sex, it had always been hinted or joked about, never like this. Serena was almost ready to jump into his arms and give him what he asked for. Deep down she regretted making him wait, she would have done it weeks ago but something always held her back, a little voice always said, not him.

Her mouth opened to reply but he simply shrugged and took another swig of his beer before placing it on the table and flopping onto the couch. He softly patted the spot next to her with a strange smile and she slowly took a seat next to him. His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer as he flicked on the giant flat screen television. Another strange twist on this day, usually when he pulled her close it was for a kiss, or maybe more. They had never just curled up and watched television, or even a full movie. They always ended up making out and missing most of the movie, it scared her, how relaxed he was being.

This has become one of the most normal days she had spent with him; too strange for her liking. Serena was not exactly complaining that they were actually being normal, it was nice for a change not having to exactly worry about how far he might push her. That is, if he was not acting as strangely as he was, she was tempted to press for answers; ask why he was so calm. The word calm, was not a way to describe Seiya, he was aggressive, pushy, never takes no for an answer, always demanding and definitely always horny. Never relaxed or keen on spending a day with his girlfriend wrapped in his arms, watching television or a movie. Serena began to wonder maybe after her own pushing maybe, just maybe, he had decided to follow her advice, to just be with her.

After his first advance almost two weeks after they started dating she had asked, why could they not just spend time together. She had suggested just walking around the mall, spend the day at the beach but he always persuaded her to do whatever he wanted; which always meant he wanted action.

"This is nice babe," She snuck a glance to see his reaction but nothing, just a blank expression with his eyes focused on the screen. "So did you have an okay day?" Again nothing. She had been accepting for him to silence her, noting whatever was on the screen, she had not even been paying attention. As she thought about it more, is seemed as if the passion and excitement had left from their relationship.

Whatever happened to be on the television ended and with that, Seiya removed his arm from her waist, and rose from the couch. He removed the cell phone from his pocket and disappeared into the kitchen. Serena could hear a muffled conversation, from his end it sounded like he was attempting to calm someone. Whoever he was talking to was not in the best of moods, but she avoided being caught with eavesdropping so she fiddled with her own phone. Naturally Rae had sent a few of her 'subtle' texts about how she should be home studying, not romping around with the sex addict, a term she had used frequently to describe Seiya. Serena simply rolled her eyes as she slipped the phone back into her purse, as Seiya stepped out from the kitchen.

He seemed hesitant to return to the couch and Serena simply cocked an eyebrow as she continued to stare, this was the normal Seiya, there was something wrong. She could feel it in bones. Asking about the problem would most likely spark something, whenever Serena asked what could be wrong, Seiya would slightly explode into a rant about whatever had happened. Naturally the first few lines included something along the lines of how could she not know; and so on. The usual line a female would use.

"Listen.. Serena. I really am sorry about this but, I'm honestly not ready for a relationship. I'm really sorry, I hope we can still be friends and maybe once, you know, I figure things out. We can maybe give it another shot."


	4. Chapter 4

***Happy to see that so many people like this story ****J I am sorry for the delays, things have been pretty crazy in my life for the past few months. In all honesty, I have not felt like writing at all. My mind has been all over the place but thankfully, everything is settling down just enough for me to relax. I can for sure sit down and focus now J Enjoy! R&R***

****Yes… and I don't own Sailor Moon****

**Chapter 4**

The last three or so hours seemed almost a blur to Serena now, she still could not recall even leaving Seiya's place after he, dumped her. Even thinking about those words caused her heart to tear once again; to her it was only a dream. It seemed as if she simply floated away from his apartment back home, and once she fell onto her bed, the tears began to flow. Her mother had sat with her through most of it, softly stroking her head and uttering the usual comments of how he was not worth her tears, she will find someone else. Every word only made her worse, she only wanted Seiya. He was the first boy she had given her heart to, Serena had been ready to give him everything and in return, he broke her heart. After a while her mother disappeared so she could wallow in her own misery and hope that in a few minutes he would call, begging her to forgive him and apologize for being such a dick but the hours passed, no phone call.

"Serena baby, come down for dinner, you need to eat something." Irene had peaked in from the tore, it tore at her to see her daughter so hurt. She had liked Seiya, he seemed like the sweetest boy. Now she was ready to storm down to his apartment and tear him limb from limb, no one hurt her family and got away with it. "Come on sweetie; I made your favourite. Your father is going to take us out for milkshakes after, it will be fun." The mass under the covers which would be Serena never moved and she knew, not even the temptation of chocolate shakes with sprinkles would rise her.

With a sigh Irene slowly closed the door and headed back downstairs.

**- A Week Later - **

The front door swung open and Serena skipped in followed slowly by the girls, they were still stunned by the sudden mood swing. For a week they had worried that she would remain in her zombie state but, to their surprise this morning the usual Serena had returned. She was laughing, smiling, pulling her usual pranks at lunch and now, even invited the girls home from a study session. As a group they had decided to avoid any mention of 'the pig' as they had now dubbed him, prom or even her birthday which was quickly approaching. Lita and Mina were still for arranging some little thing since it would be her 18th but Rae along with Amy agreed, Serena was still too fragile to even considering celebrating.

"Serena deserves some form of a party. Forget about the pig and just celebrate, she will forget about him in time. How many times has Serena done something special to help us deal with a break up? We owe her for that!" Lita's hand lightly hit the surface of the table. Serena had just slipped out of the room to refill the drinks and grab more snacks, this session had been an intense one. Final projects that had been assigned a month ago, were due within the week and on top of them, exam prep were handed out to assist the students in being fully prepared for the real thing.

"Lita we cannot do that to her, Serena had been so excited about celebrating such a big birthday with him. He had been her first real boyfriend, it will take more than a week for her to regroup. Maybe once summer begins we can see how she is." Amy sighed as she glanced towards the kitchen as Serena reappeared with a tray of glasses and snacks. A smile was spread ear to ear but they all knew, it was fake. Their best friend was broken girl who smiled simply to keep them happy, inside she was a shell of the Serena they all knew and loved.

Serena dove right back into her math textbook with her hand whizzing across the pages of her notebook, Rae's jaw nearly hit the floor at this site, it usually took them forever to convince her to simply open the textbook. Now their usually ditzy friend was zipping through questions, almost as quickly as Amy. All four found themselves glancing at each other with confusion, all thinking the same thing; in a twisted kind of way, the break up had done wonders for Serena. In a mere week their friend had become more dedicated to her studies than she had been, ever. During the relationship Serena had not exactly been focused on her studies, yes she was doing very well in classes but they all knew with him around, she would never reach her true potential.

Now with him out of the picture; they all seemed hopeful that she could finally focus herself with what was important. All four girls cautiously looked at each other as they softly shrugged and returned to their own assignments, it was best not to question her actions. The break up was still fresh and with Serena, it was not the smartest decision to ask how she felt, it would only end in a river of tears. They had decided that it would be best to save that topic of conversation for another time maybe once school had finished. It still hurt all the girls that their friend was going to miss out on the one night she had dreaming of since the beginning of the school year, prom may be out but Lita was determined to still make her birthday something special.

"Oh I completely forgot to tell you guys, I was out with Mom the other day and we passed by this amazing salon, its Gold Salon and their hair styles and up dos are stunning! I sort of booked us for prom, saves us so much time." The only sound that could be heard were four pencils dropping onto the table as the girls stared at Serena in awe; they had not expected that she was still planning on attending. Serena's cerulean eyes gleamed with excitement as she smiled at her friends. So what if she didn't have a date, she knew a few girls in school who were going solo as well and obviously, there would be a few guys alone as well, so standing alone during slow dances would not be a problem.

None of the girls knew what to say or how even to react, here she was, a week after a terrible break up and she was still planning on attending the event she had planned down to a tee, with Seiya. All four began to wonder, had he come crawling back and promised to be different? They all continued to stare at her in awe; all expecting the man they hated more then anything to walk around the corner, the smuggest look on his face just begging to be slapped off. Serena continued to beam as she bounced about their amazing night coming up; unknown to the girls and her parents, she had returned her original gown and picked something a little more.. daring.

At first she had been shocked that she herself had picked out this type of dress but, if she wanted to leave high school with a bang this was her only chance. Sure, she was not going to be losing anything on prom night or even have a boyfriend but she realized being with her friends was the best medicine. This summer was going to be one to remember, she had decided on turning onto a new page of her life. Once snapping out of her funk it came to her, moping about a worthless boy was a waste of time. He had been absolutely wonderful but it was not meant to be so why not start college off with a bang. The day before prom she had proclaimed 'New Serena Day' and it would be a day, she would never forget.

"Well Serena.. I can't lie and say we're not shocked but if you are still up for prom then lets do it!" Lita smiled and winked at Rae. "What time is the appointment, maybe we can meet for breakfast." Rae grit her teeth as she forced a smile with an accompanying nod towards Serena, the other two girls followed with a nod as they shot looks of worry between each other. The complete one-eighty of their friend caused high amounts of fear for all, until they learned the truth they planned to put on a happy face and pray she would not return to her almost catatonic state of last week.

Serena seemed utterly unaware of her friends worry and continued to beam at their excitement over their hair/make up appointment; she hoped it would add to their already special day, she wanted it to truly be one moment in time, they would never forget. The day could not come any faster for her, she could not wait for them to see the new Serena; it was her way of showing not only herself but her friends how over the jerk she was. It took almost all of her nerve not to burst out with her plan of transformation; it was as if she had been meant to endure that pain of him before she could discover the real Serena lying inside. From the moment she had decided upon the change, it was as if she had opened her eyes for the first time. Any moment until that day was as she could describe it now hidden behind a thick fog; and she hoped from this time on, she would never return to that person.

The next hour passed by with little studying taking place. Since their appointment had been made for one in the afternoon, the girls agreed to meet at the arcade for milkshakes around twelve, so they could relax and laugh before the day's hectic schedule of nails, hair, make up and dressing began. Their original plan for transportation had been lost since Seiya was no longer in the picture; he had booked the limo for them but immediately cancelled when he dumped Serena. That action had been made reason number two as to why the girls, namely Lita, had wanted to pound his face in. The four girls had decided on arriving separately with their own dates and meeting up at the hotel where the prom was being held. All four wondered how Serena was going to get there but she waved them off with a smile saying she had it figured out, the way her eyes sparkled made the worry of a Seiya return.

"I highly doubt Serena would be foolish enough to take Seiya back." Amy said bluntly as the girls were far enough from her doorstep. "I think she is just going to go solo." The others simply shrugged as they continued to the bus stop. As they arrived Rae plopped onto the bench muttering about pounding Serena if she showed up with the little maggot, the others simply laughed and took a seat themselves, all hoping that Amy was right.


	5. Chapter 5

***This chapter might make your jaws drop a little bit but I figured I needed a little excitement. Hope you guys don't flip out anything I just wanted to have some fun and like I said, keep you guys on your toes :P Plus I know a few of you guys have been waiting for -someone- to make a real appearance, so here you go. It did take me a while since I kept changing my mind about how I wanted it to go. Took forever just to write the first part… yeah I'm that bad oh well… R&R ****J***

****Yes… and I don't own Sailor Moon****

**Chapter 5**

Serena braced herself against the bathroom sink as she continued to stare at the reflection staring back at her, almost as if the person staring back was a stranger. The girl in the mirror seemed so much more confident, happier, stronger and she even dared to think, sexier. She appeared to know exactly what she wanted and how to get it, this girl was everything Serena wanted to be and she knew deep down, she would be just like this girl. She had already taken the first step towards becoming the more confident version of herself, earlier that morning she had slipped into her favorite hairstylist's chair and watched in awe as her golden locks transformed before her eyes. Serena had ducked into the closest washroom the moment she had finished up.

With prom approaching faster then Serena would have liked she had begun to almost panic, she was still dateless and was refusing to allow her father to drive her. Naturally most of the decent guys at her school were spoken for and outside of school thanks to, someone, she had no real male friends. After the break up she had been so focused on studying, college prep, her friends and her transformation she had almost completely about the two pieces of prom that seemed most important, the who and transportation. Serena shook her head in an attempt to forget about those factors for a moment and the sight in the mirror caught her attention once again.

The girl in the mirror was smiling. She was now able to truly accept the fact that this was her from now on, gone were the meatballs and in their place, her hair had been snipped to just above the small of her back and now those locks hung pin straight against her back, and delicate bangs hung across her forehead. First step of transformation, complete.

"_If I can go this far, I can do the rest. They are only clothes for heavens sake, I doubt my parents can make an argument from that._" At least that is what she was hoping. Her new wardrobe was going to be so different she knew a parental freak out would follow, it had taken her over an hour last night to convince her father how important this new style was to her. She was going to college in less than three months, she needed to start off her new life with a bang. Of course she had 'promised' nothing too drastic but she had figured it would be smart to keep the more 'revealing' numbers for after she left their protection.

Yes, that plan seemed to work just perfectly for her. Besides her parents would be more preoccupied with her hair that they would most likely not notice anything else for the first few days. Again, she hoped.

"Dad is for sure going to kill me when he sees the bill next month." Serena giggled to herself as she fell into a comfy egg chair near the food court. Surrounding her feet were many bags from the various stores she had been visiting since she exited the bathroom with her new found confidence. The hours had slipped by and Serena could have cared less, she was loving having the time to truly enjoy her new life; she could have not asked for a better day. Thankfully for her, it had been easy to avoid the girls on such a beautiful day, most were still cooped up in their rooms studying for finals. Studying could be held off for just today since finals were still a couple weeks away and to Serena, her make over day was needed.

Serena rested her feet on the table that sat in front of the chair and pulled a prom magazine from one of her various bags and settled back, hoping to pick up a few ideas. There were more important parts of that night that were still lacking but she knew an idea would strike her until then, it was all about the hair. She knew the hairstyle was almost as important as the dress and with the new dress hiding in her closet, she hoped that within this magazine, a style would catch her attention to complete her new outlook. With each turn of the page Serena slowly began to lose hope, she was almost ready to throw away the magazine and go with her hair how it had been styled today.

"Oh I give up! I could buy five more of these and find nothing. I guess its straight down for me, maybe I can find a tiara or something to add to it." Serena sighed as she flipped to the second last page when her eyes flashed back down. A huge smile spread across her face knowing that she found it, her hairstyle. It was simple but that was exactly how she wanted it; the model's hair had been curled into loose ringlets which had been pulled into a side ponytail, her bangs swept across her forehead and with a simple black headband. Everything about it she loved, only part she would change was the headband, she had seen a silver one which was had delicate crystal roses along the top.

'This will be perfect, I cannot wait for the girls to see me!" Serena said with a wide smile as she folded over the page and flipped back to beginning since she had plenty of time to waste, she figured reading a few articles would not hurt.

"You know Meat…. Serena?" His jaw nearly fell off at the sight of the frustrated blonde curled up in the chair; he had to almost do a double take to make sure that actually was Serena. Gone was the meatballs he had become so fond of teasing her about and replaced with a shorter, but more mature hairstyle. She looked, in all honesty she actually looked like the woman he had always envisioned her to be.

Her eyes shot up in a glare towards the voice and saw Darien with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, attempting to remove the look of shock on his face. She could not help but to smile, for once in her life she had actually been able to silence him.

"You look nice. Finally took my advice about hacking off those meatballs?" Darien smirked as he slid into a chair across from her. His eyes fell towards the large amounts of bags surrounding her chair and the magazine in her hands. "Planning for the big night? I bet your boyfriend must be sick of hearing about it."

"We broke up." She said as she threw the magazine into a bag and started to collect the rest. Leave it to Darien to pick at still healing wounds within the first few seconds of being in her presence. Serena shot him a murderous glare as she heaved the bags up and took a few steps away from the table but was stopped when she felt a hand catch her arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear. I didn't know." He gave her a weak smile as she looked down at his hand which now lightly squeezed her arm. It was hard to explain why he felt happy to know that she was back on the market, regardless of their fiery feud he had always held a soft spot for the annoying squirt and to see the pain in her eyes at the mention of her now ex boyfriend hurt him more than he could have every imagined.

The sincerity in his eyes cooled the anger as Serena slowly placed the bags back onto the floor and slowly sat down in a chair next to where he sat, watching him with curious eyes. She had never seen him actually care about how she was feeling, usually he was focused on aggravating her beyond belief and causing yet another one of their famous arguments which left her seething and wanting to tear him limb from limb.

"It happens, he didn't want a relationship so he ended it before it got too serious… for him." Her voice shook at the end and as she glanced over towards Darien she noticed he seemed to be in deep thought. It stunned her to see him slide his chair a few inches closer to her own and place a gentle hand onto hers, offering a smile. Damn him and that smile, whenever he did smile she could not help herself but to return a weak smile of her own. Prom, studying, planning the new Serena had taken up so much of her mind she had almost forgotten all about the man who had broken her heart.

With every minute that passed, every ounce of tension that had ever arose between Serena and Darien slowly faded away, it was almost as if they were meeting for the first time and learning so much in such a short amount of time. The years they had spent bickering seemed so pointless now and as time ticked by, they grew closer, forming a special friendship they felt would strength with every smile or moment they spent together. Also for Serena, an idea slowly began to form as she bantered back and forth with her newest friend, it seemed crazy at first but with everything she had experience it became the best idea she had ever formed. The question was, would he accept or simply laugh it off?

"Listen Darien, I know this might sound crazy but I just have to ask, I am out of ideas and I need help. Would you be my date to the prom?" She barrelled through the last part and curled up into the chair as she watched him with curious eyes.

"Excuse me?" He laughed, had he heard her right?

"I can't go alone Darien not after what happened, I have no male friends and well, I want to leave an impression. Please it will only be a few hours I will make it up some how, I promise! Please."

"We just start acting civil towards each other and you ask me this?" He laughed. "Did you eat something you shouldn't have before coming here?"

The way her eyes narrowed he could tell Serena was not joking, she actually wanted him to go to prom with her. Prom, a bunch of newly released teenagers dressed in ridiculous designs and who were guaranteed to end up acting like a bunch of idiots, his own prom was thankfully almost forgotten and he had never thought he would have to endure a night like that again. Sure he had was a member of the 'popular crowd' and dating the hottest girl in school, on top of being named prom king but he had suffered in silence the whole night. The thought of it made his stomach crawl but then he looked into those cerulean blue eyes and he saw the pain behind them, the fear of arriving along to one of the biggest nights of her life and his heart softened.

"I'll do it." He sighed but smiled as the tiny blonde plopped herself into his lap, shrieking with excitement.


	6. Chapter 6

***Sorry in advance if I screwed up Darien's car. I was about 80% positive that was his car, but after an hour of internet searching I could not find any for confirmation so I went with my gut. You can beat me up if I got it wrong haha. If you guys are interested, here is the picture I based her dress on ****LINK**** just in case my description left you guys confused. ****J R&R***

****Yes… and I don't own Sailor Moon****

**Chapter 6**

Her heart was racing as she rounded the corner onto the top of the stairs now in full view of her parents, and Darien. She had paused for a moment simply to glance at her 'date' and he was drop dead gorgeous; standing there in his black suit with his beige shirt slightly unbuttoned showing off a small touch of his firm chest, a white rose pinned on his jacket; Serena knew she had made the best decision on her life. Her moment of glory was broken by the small noise that had come from her mother who had placed a hand over her open mouth with a look of shock in her eyes as Serena came into view. Her father was almost identical to his wife except, his face had been drained of almost all color.

Serena had expected such a response from the parents who had expected their 'innocent' daughter to be wearing something less, scandalous. They had most likely imagined her previous pink dress which had been long since returned and replaced with her strapless floor length silver colored gown which completely covered in silver sequins from the tight bodice and slowly faded away into thin lines as they reached the bottom of the skirt; complete with hip high slit which with every step revealed a firm yet sleek leg. Each step brought her closer to certain death, she hoped that her parents would refrain from any freak outs and simply allow her to enjoy the night had been dreaming of.

"_Just relax, they are just in shock. Mom should be able to keep dad relaxed so we can leave, oh please I can just get out." _She gave her audience a nervous smile as she reached the bottom step and folded her hands carefully in front of her.

"Well Serena this is, different I must say sweetheart but, you look beautiful." Irene said softly.

"Beautiful? You think I am allowing her to walk out of our house looking like this? Serena, I want you to march upstairs and…" Ken was silenced by a glare from his wife who had also stretched her arm across his chest shaking her head. Bless the ability of a woman to silence her husband with a single glare, Serena hoped she would inherit that same skill for her own marriage.

Ken remained silent yet angry as Irene gently pushed Serena close to Darien to snap a few pictures and could not help but smile wide as he slid a corsage made of several white roses and baby's breath on Serena's wrist. The camera flashed several more times before Serena could breathe a sigh of relief as they exited her house and climbed into Darien's red Ferrari.

"That was a close one." Darien laugh as he rested his elbow on the window and glanced at Serena. "I was expecting him to blow when he saw me at the door."

Serena just laughed and rested her head against the cool leather seat as she watched the buildings flash past the window as they made their way towards the hotel, with every block her stomach wound tighter and tighter. Her mind raced with worry and excitement over how the girls would react once they saw who she had brought and whether Darien would actually enjoy reliving prom all over again, with his so called enemy and her friends.

"If I forget by the end, thank you for doing this. It… really means a lot to me, I know you will hate most of it."

"Hate it? I don't think I will hate it, yeah I have to spend a night with a bunch of hormonal teenagers but I'm with a friend so it makes all of that worth it." He said while lightly patting her hand, a smile twitching on his face.

The way her heart fluttered every time he touched her made thoughts race through her brain that maybe just maybe, he could be just more than a friend. She immediately would erase those thoughts, Darien would never want her in that way; they had just become civil towards each other in the week they had been hanging out. Ever since that fateful meeting in the mall, the two found themselves in constant contact and Serena loved every minute of it. In such a short time, their friendship had become so special she kept everything crossed that nothing would stand in their way.

"Where could she be? I swear if she changed her mind I'll strangle her." Rae steamed as she paced. "We only have ten minutes before they close the doors, I don't want to lose our table."

"Chill out Rae, you know how Serena is with time constraints, she had never been on time for anything." Mina said double checking her make up. "She will probably show up a minute before the doors close then complain until dinner is served. The group shared a laugh which was cut short the moment a new car joined the line.

The red Ferrari gleamed in the setting sun and its engine purred as it slowly moved along, edging closer to the drop off. Jaws dropped at the sight but none more than the four girls who remained rooted in their spot as the car drew closer, each shaking their head, willing themselves to believe that the car did not contain two people who could never stand each other's presence for longer than a minute. Wondering if it could even be possible? Each running a million theories through their minds as the car crawled to a stop at the doors, their eyes following the valet as reached the driver's side door and to their shock, Darien exited with a smirk on his face as he tossed his keys to the stunned valet. He pushed up his sunglasses before casually strolling to the passenger side and opened the door.

There were no words as Serena took Darien's hand and rose from the car. Her friends could not take their eyes from her, the girl they knew as Serena had transformed into someone they could no describe, the person standing before them was almost a stranger; where had their cautious, shy friend gone? None could deny that Serena looked amazing in her silver gown, she was almost glowing and seemed more confident in a way. For just a moment, the four girls glanced at each other and one word flashed through their minds; the one reason their ditzy friend would even attempt a stunt as brave as this, Seiya.

"Serena….what…." Rae spluttered as the pair reached the group. "This is different, but you look uh, great."

"Great? Girl you look stunning! You should have told us though." Mina almost shouted as she leaned in closer to Serena to whisper. "And I cannot wait to hear how to managed to convince Darien to come."

Serena winked at her friend before sneaking a glance at Darien, it still seemed like a dream that he was actually there, in that one week he had become her knight in shining armour. The wounds left from Seiya were slowly healing and with each stitch, her heart became stronger and she knew that one day she would find the one person who she could give her everything to and maybe, it would Darien. That thought was quickly erased since he was only a friend, just a friend doing a great favour to her.

"Come on girls, I am starving! I hope we don't have to wait long." Serena said with a laugh as she lightly tugged on Darien's hand, leading him towards the door.

"I hope you can squeeze some food into your stomach with that dress on." Lita chirped as she linked arms with Taylor, a fellow member of her karate class. She fought a laugh when Serena shot a glare in her direction.

Dinner was pleasant, the food was in Serena's opinion the best meal she had ever had, though most knew anything she placed in her mouth was the best she ever had. Throughout dinner, no one seemed to notice the subtle glares Rae sent in Serena's direction whenever Darien placed a hand on hers or when she leaned in to talk softly in his ear, the other girls beamed with joy to see Serena so happy though shocked that it was Darien doing so. The girls agreed that they would avoid asking and just enjoy the new Serena while she was around. They cheered as prom king and queen were crowned and laughed with the class joker, this night was truly going to be a great night.

"You've been quiet Rae, everything okay?" Mina asked when they slipped into the washroom for a quick make up fix.

"I'm fine, I just cannot believe Serena brought Darien, how on Earth could she have convinced him? I mean they were nearly tearing each other apart a couple weeks ago" Rae said while staring into the mirror, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. Mina sighed and leaned against the counter and glanced over at Rae, the pieces coming together. She and the rest had almost forgotten the crush Rae had, had on Darien ever since they had met him

"I thought you were over him? I mean he has told you before that he just wanted to be friends, I don't think Serena would do anything to hurt you. We should be happy its not Seiya." Mina said and patted Rae's hand.

Rae slowly nodded but continued to stare into the mirror, she thought she was over Darien too but seeing him with Serena brought the feelings rushing back. He was a great guy and there was just something about him. True she was having a great time with Craig but being so close to Darien made it hard to relax and have the time of her life. Mina moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, Rae turned and could not help but smile. She was right, Serena would never go after Darien and honestly he wouldn't go for her anyway, she was too immature for him. "You're right, Serena would never do that and honestly, I think it was just the shock that brought everything back. I'm fine I swear, lets get back before the dance starts."As they returned, the tables had been cleared and the music had already been cranked up, most of the group, minus Craig and Mina's date had left for the dance floor. The girls took their seats and watched Serena laugh as Darien twirled her around."She really is happy though, I am glad its not Seiya, he really does bring out the best in her." Rae said as she smiled towards the pair.

The night wore on and Serena was having the time of her life, Darien had made this night so special and she wondered how she could ever make it up to him. He had saved her from returning to the dark side as she called it, on many occasions she had found herself staring at her phone, almost ready to dial 'his' number and beg him to take her back. A part of her was ready to say she would sleep with him, it was low but she did not want to be alone on that special night. That was until Darien came into the picture, her saviour. From the moment they entered the building he never left her side expect for bathroom visits of course but other than that, he was her constant companion. Even when the DJ played the sappiest slow songs, Serena found herself wrapped in his arms as she slowly spun around the floor.

Serena had never felt so happy in her life nor had she so safe. During one song, Serena let herself go and closed her eyes as she placed her head on his chest. His hand gripped tighter on her waist and pulled her closer to his body and she could not ignore the electricity flowing between their bodies. With Darien, it just felt right. She was safe, comforted and to be honest, Serena felt like she was home.

Darien pulled up in front of Serena's house and cut the engine; he could not believe he had actually enjoyed the night. After agreeing to be Serena's "date" he had expected it to be one of the longest nights of his life, being surrounded by a group of soon to be very liberated and very hormonal teenagers but instead, it had been one of the best nights of his life. It almost scared him how much fun he had actually had and, Serena had been the main reason; one person he never could have ever imagined would bring that much joy to his life. If anyone would have told him even a month before that he would be escorting Serena to prom he would have punched them.

"Well that a great night I never thought a bunch of teenagers could be so well behaved and, I think you set a new record for number of plates cleaned in a couple hours." Darien said with a smirk.

That comment was met with just an eye roll, she had not eaten that much, Serena was simply catching up on the meals she had missed while being styled for the night. She could not help but smile at his teasing, before their new found friendship there would have been some sarcastic come back now, just a smile or an eye roll would do.

"Dinner was great though, I had more fun dancing. It felt great just have some fun I doubt I will have much fun once college starts," She said with a shrug as she looked towards her front door. "I am looking forward to it though, a new start."

"You'll love it, yeah it can be a bit scary the first few weeks but I'm sure you'll do great. As long as you focus on your studies and not running after all the boys," Darien stopped short after noticing the look of sorrow in her eyes. "Just remember you are a strong, beautiful woman and there is someone out there who will see you for that, and everything that makes you special."

Serena's cheeks flushed and she hung her head trying to fight the smile creeping on her lips, she had never heard something so sweet from a member of the opposite gender; and she knew that he had meant every word. To her surprise he leaned against the centre console and his fingers softly touched her chin to turn her head towards him.

"Just remember that Serena, I've never met someone like you and I know you'll make someone very happy," His voice was soft and caring, she could not help but almost believe it was true but for her, it would take more than a few weeks for her to completely heal herself. Even now she knew that part of her heart still belonged to Seiya, he had been her first boyfriend and to this day, her first love.

"Thank you Darien, it means so much." Her voice shook slightly as she took notice to how close his face was to hers, how his fingers still gently held her chin; a pose she had seen in many movies just before the guy kissed the girl. This time she did not fight the thoughts and finally admitted that she wanted Darien to be more than just a friend, she wanted him, period. It took almost everything inside her not to close the gap to press her lips to his, something inside told her that his kiss would be different from Seiya's. It would be soft yet powerful, filled with emotion and not so intense that she knew it would only lead to one thing; a kiss from Darien would be, it would be, just perfect.

Darien removed his fingers from her chin with a smile and slowly shook his head as Serena leaned back against the seat, her eyes now focused straight ahead, he sighed and took her hand.

"I really did have a great time tonight Serena and I hope you did too but, judging by the number of times I've seen the curtain move from into your house, I saw you head in before your dad comes out and tears me to pieces. I'll call you tomorrow." He said as he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on her hand.

Before the courage would fail, Serena leaned over and left a quick kiss on his cheek and exited the car. It had not been the kiss she had been hoping for but tomorrow was another day, she could not deny the chemistry she had felt in the car or when he held her in his arms as they danced. Though a tiny voice in the back of her mind whispered to be reasonable. Darien was older, more mature and there was no way he would be interested in some recent high school graduate who was still in the process of forgetting her first love. A stronger voice overtook the previous voice and encouraged her to try, just try.


	7. Chapter 7

***Hope you guys are still around. I am really sorry for the lack of updating, I had a hell of a time finishing the last chapter. I just could not focus as I wrote, thankfully the bug bit me once again so I am hoping to get a few chapters done. I am planning on bringing on the drama now. So I hope you guys are still enjoying the story, I'm still unsure about the number of chapters but I will let you know J R&R***

**Ps. This is for firecracker2010. I'm still debating whether or not to add in the 'secret brawl' but, there may be something close to it. Still working on it. ;)**

****I don't own Sailor Moon****

**Chapter 7**

Serena awoke the next morning with mixed emotions. Now that she actually had time to process what had taken place in Darien's car after prom, she knew it had been a big mistake. She should have never allowed him to be so close, they were just friends and that was it. Deep down she had known it but she had allowed herself to get carried away with such raw emotions. As she laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling and gently scratching Luna's head she swore to herself right then, she would not allow herself to fall for Darien. The negatives outweighed the positives and Serena agreed they were better friends than lovers, at least now they were civil.

"Luna, you should have seen it though. The way he held me as we danced, it was if we were two puzzle pieces we fit together perfectly," Serena sighed as she hauled herself out of bed and glanced down at her cat. "Oh well, we'll probably go back to normal now I think he was just being nice cause of what happened."

Irene's voice called from the bottom of the stairs announcing breakfast and Serena wandered to her closet as she slipped into a pair of skinny jeans and a light pink baby doll shirt. Just a few more weeks and high school would be only a memory and she intended on making those final weeks as Darien free as possible.

****June 25th****

Graduation had been amazing yet typical, prior to the ceremony Serena and the girls were 'attacked' by Tokyo's new found paparazzi aka Irene Tsukino. Every step of dressing for graduation was documented which was followed by a never ending photo session with the girls and their families in Serena's backyard. By the end Serena was complaining her cheeks hurt from smiling so much but it was in good fun, this had been the day she and the girls had been working so hard to reach.

The ceremony was filled with many emotions she would never be able to describe, the best moment, in her opinion had been Amy's valedictorian speech. No one but Amy could have delivered such a heart felt speech and truly inspired the group of students now preparing for the next step of their lives. Her words had been capable of speaking to every student individually helping to light the fire to succeed or simply just to try. They spoke volumes to Serena, she knew it would be a battle but as long as she tried anything could be possible. By the end of the speech, Serena along with Rae, Mina and Lita had tears rolling down their cheeks and were the first to jump out of their seats to applaud their friend. They were quickly followed by the other students and families; cheering and wiping their own tears. Her worst moment was taking those few steps across the large stage to receive her diploma and it was the worst because she knew the moment the paper touched her hand, she was no longer a carefree teenager, she was one step closer to be an independent adult.

"Earth to Serena, you have been staring off into space for a while. You okay?" Darien asked with a hint of concern.

Her plan to not see Darien plan had lasted a whole two hours, the moment his number flashed on her phone her heart did a summersault. Since that day, they had been almost inseparable, of course Serena's reasoning for their frequent visits were simply him helping her prepare for college; that was at least what Serena continued to tell herself. The memory of the 'almost kiss' still flashed through her mind almost every second of the day and seemed to appear most often when Darien was around, naturally. He had obviously forgotten about it and for Serena, that was painful but just fine; if he had forgotten about it then she could, eventually it would fade away but for now she found herself back in his car, so close yet so far.

"Yeah sorry, I'm alright, just been doing a lot of thinking lately. You know with college and that I'm going to be eighteen in a few days." Her voice was quiet near the end and she could not help but lightly blush at the thought, she would be an adult, free to make her own decisions. One thought constantly followed the idea of turning eighteen, yes naturally she would be classed as an adult but, she would be legal and that meant she could be with anyone she chose.

"Most girls freak out about turning thirty not eighteen," Darien laughed as he readjusted his sunglasses. "You are making it sound like its a death sentence or something."

He could not help but to smile as Serena shot him a glare which in turn slowly faded away into a smile, before she turned away trying to hide her now red cheeks. It was hard to deny that she was a beautiful girl but when she blushed, Darien's heart just melted. She became real when she blushed, for how could such a kind, caring, funny, beautiful creature such as Serena be real? He had dated many girls but none had ever seemed as perfect as Serena, there was just a spark that made her unique, almost angelic. Just looking at her now, Darien mentally kicked himself for not kissing her after the best night of his life, it stunned him how one girl could make him feel so alive and it amazed him how perfect they seemed together.

The almost kiss had haunted him ever since and with each moment they spent together, he realized how badly he wanted this intoxicating angel. Even now, he was fighting the urge to turn her towards him and giving in that spell she cast on him long ago but he couldn't, she was obviously still hurting over that jerk of a being, Seiya.

"You still have not given me any ideas on what to get you." He said with a smile.

"You don't have to get me anything, I'm serious. I'm happy with just spending the day with my friends, you know, nothing special." She said with a shrug. The birthday celebrations had rarely crossed her mind even with the girls pressing her almost everyday. In all honesty, Serena would be happy as can be with dinner and then a night of dancing and maybe if she was lucky, a moonlit walk with only Darien and the best birthday present would be. It was best for her to just stop there, wishing for a kiss that will never.

Darien sensed something was troubling her and draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close, he figured it had to with the Seiya. That creature had broken this sweet girl and it tore at every part of his heart and he swore right then, he would do all in his power to heal her and make her realize how special she truly was.

"I have a few days and I'm sure I can weasel some information out of the girls since you are refusing to give me any ideas. Still as stubborn as ever meatball." Darien squeezed her shoulders and was relieved to a see a smile, that was a step.

Hours later Serena waved goodbye as the red car sped down her street and smiled as she shut the door behind her and skipped up the stairs and into her bedroom. The smile had rarely left her her face since that moment Darien's arm draped over her shoulders and pulled her close, the arm had remained their as they talked about almost everything. She had confessed her dream to become a fashion designer, it would never bother her if she became known world wide all she wanted was to broadcast her designs. For now, those designs remained hidden in her various sketch books littered across her room. One day she hoped that some day, women across Tokyo would die to wear her clothes and if everyday wear was out of the question, she would happy just to design wedding gowns; all she wanted was to design.

"I swear I am a sucker for punishment, that man is going to be the death of me Luna and he has no clue was his touch does to me. I should just cut off contact, every moment I'm with him I just want to throw myself into his arms and let him take me away." She sighed as she rested against her bedroom door, it was almost as if she could still feel the weight of his arm on her shoulders, a simple gesture had made her the safest she had ever felt and just like when they danced at prom, she felt like she was home. The sudden feeling of her phone vibrating in her pocket brought her out of the perfect daydream.

Her hands shook as she watched his number flash on the screen, why the hell would he be calling her now? They had been over for weeks now and even though Seiya had said he wanted to remain friends neither of them had made the effort to remain even that both just going on with their lives but now, there he was, attempting to reappear into her life with a simple phone call. At first she planned on just ignoring him, he would take the hint that she wanted nothing to do with him and give up but a part of her wondered, did he want her back; had he realized his mistake and was attempting to fix it? With a breath to calm herself, Serena slowly flipped open her phone.

"Hello?" Her voice shook slightly as she slowly sat down on the edge of her bed and began playing with the edge of her comforter.

"Hey Serena, listen I'm sorry for not staying in touch I have felt like such an idiot. I said we could stay friends, but I figured I would give you some time to yourself."

"Right... Avoid me for a few weeks and it all is okay?" Her temper was rising, how dare he call her out of the blue and just expect she be fine with what had happened. A voice buried in the back of her mind was screaming for her to just hang up the phone. She had to be practically insane just to pick it up in the first place, thinking about it now, it was as if Serena loved torturing herself. Just hearing his voice was ripping open the wounds in her heart and she found herself thinking back to the good days, curled up in his arms watching television or some random. Remembering how she curled into his body as they kissed. No, they were broken up and that was final.

The phone was silent for some time and for a moment she thought he had hung up but then she could hear the sounds of him breathing, he was most likely waiting for her to calm down.

"Listen I have an idea. I know I was a jerk, I just was not ready for anything serious you know? Anyway, I planned on calling you sooner but I figured you didn't want to hear from me ever again plus you had graduation and everything but, I want to make it up to you." He seemed sincere, there had been countless times he had been a jerk and proceeded to make up for it with presents, romantic dates, etc. This time though Serena doubted anything he had thought up would ever make up for the pain she had gone through.

She took a deep breath and once again debated whether or not to just hang up and forget the whole conversation never happened, she had done it for a few weeks, it would be easy for the rest of her life. Though it was hard to deny that she was curious about his plans and how maybe this was just another one of life's cruel tests; one final meeting to prove that she was truly over him and capable of moving on.

"I'm listening Seiya."


	8. Note

Hey guys. I'm sorry to do this but I am taking a hiatus from writing the story. I have recently begun working on a novel and it is taking much of my time, along with my new job. I'm not sure when I will be able to start work on this again, but I will keep you posted.


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